GUARANTEE A FINISH

Even though I've been writing for many, many years, I often still feel nervous or guilty about devoting time to my writing. The ugly voice sitting on my shoulder whispers, "So what good is this wasted time? Published anything recently?"

And every writing how-to book either reminds me how few authors find a home for their work, or screams "with persistance, you can be on the NY Times Bestsellers list." (Yeah, right!) Either way there is something just "hammy" enough inside of me to want others to read my work--no matter where it is posted.

Publishers/agents are equally hard to find, especially within the last 5-10 years. The economy and falling numbers of traditional publishers have a great deal to do with that. So after months of frustrating search, last year I paid to have "Pink Poodle Pie" published. Not the happiest time of my life, believe me.

Recently, an editor/publisher I know from her excellent quarterly magazine, "The Storyteller," began a publishing company. She put out a call for "Southern Weird" books, as I told you here on this blog before. So away my book went and--I'm still in shock, I think--it was accepted. The four-year quest has paid off. I'm so excited that Mockingbird Lane Press (www.mockingbirdlanepress.com)is my publisher!

I will promote this book to the best of my ability. I will sing its praises, carry one around with me everywhere I go, sell at book faires, and twist the arms of everyone of my many friends, and family members. I want, not just for me but for this new publishing company, my book to be a huge success.

Of course, I want you all to read my book. That will encourage me to write another one, or maybe another short story collection--maybe that one about ghost stories of the south--really weird events, there. And if you want to read one of them, I just might give it away free on my website.

Wait a minutes. I don't have a website any longer.

Darn, there's another part of that promotion stuff I have to get busy creating.

ACCEPTION!

I received a call from the editor/publisher today and---

She accepted "Aunt Lutie's Blue Moon Cafe" for publication. HOORAH! Percistance does pay off; I have been working on this book, off and on, of course, for four years or more. It has been through numerous rewrites and several critiques--even a rather funny one with some dear friends. Like so many people not familiar with the culture, they just don't get "Southern fiction," "Southern weird," or any of the language we people down there speak.

Bless their hearts! (That can mean I really care, or it can mean you're to be pitied, Honey.) I dearly love them but am glad I kept on plugging along.

And what could be better than a Southern gal for an editor/publisher--someone who will understand every word.

Now, off to those edits/rewrites/tightening up.

MANUSCRIPT OFF!

I've been working for the last few days on the last edits of the first three and (last) chapter of my latest novel. It seems that the more you go over your work, the more you find that can be improved. Don't all authors feel that way?

But I finally took a deep breath, said enough is enough, packaged up the chapters, my cover letter, and the synopsis and dropped them in the mail. Today. I left a message for my editor that the requested material was on the way. Now I wait.

That's not what I will do, however. All the experts tell writers they should begin right away on the next book, article, or short story. I must decide what will be the next book I work on. Shall it be "BJ and the Alligator Stomp," which just might fit into my editor's "Southern Weird" category. Or shall I begin another book starring Mary Margaret Butler (MM)to continue the series I've planned for the characters in the book I've just submitted? (Maybe I should wait on that until I see what my editor thinks of the characters, plot, and storyline.)

Or maybe I will concentrate on my poetry for awhile--this blog could use some extra tender loving care, too. Whatever it is, writing is something I won't give up on. There's no end to what I want to write about--so much to write, so little time.